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How to define whether the startup is successful or not? It is simple – by the number of users and customer retention rate. What influences it? The ability of startup owners to launch their feature-rich mobile applications smoothly operating on various platforms within the shortest terms and without spending huge budgets. However, is it generally possible?
In this article, we will discuss how Flutter app development can satisfy all the needs of customers and startup owners and help turn mobile startup applications into successful businesses without the need to launch two apps.
Why Flutter app development is the most preferred choice for startups?
There is nothing better for a young business than having mobile applications perform on various platforms like native apps. After deciding to launch mobile app development, the next pending crucial step will be choosing the best-suiting frameworks and tech stack.
What is the Flutter app in a nutshell?
Exist many available frameworks you can choose from. The budget-friendly and straightforward solution for startups is a cross-platform app development with Flutter, allowing you to reach your target audience through different platforms. Flutter mobile app development framework has transformed the whole digital world allowing developers to approach app development from a different angle.
Flutter framework is an open-source UI elements software development kit created by Google. This framework for building cross-platform apps uses a single codebase, allowing developers to access a hybrid mobile app development world, where they can create apps on both Android and iOS with just one code. Flutter offers the ability to create cross-platform applications just like it was a native app development.
Interesting fact: Flutter framework occupies 2nd place in the rank of the leading tools for cross-platform app development by Google.
But before diving deeper into the opportunities Flutter provides for app development let us look through some statistics.
According to Statista insights, Flutter is the most popular cross-platform mobile framework used by global developers, according to a 2021 developer survey. Based on the survey, 42 percent of software developers used Flutter to build their mobile apps.
Flutter apps popularity left behind even the most popular frameworks, such as Xamarin, Ionic, Unity, and Phone Gap, and even approaches the React Native position.
Reasons why startups should consider Flutter app development?
Startups should take into account the next aspects when considering what framework to choose for app development:
- Customer demands for fast and efficient solutions are growing together with the need for cross-platform and backend development.
- To stay afloat and be better than the other competitors, startups should develop apps both for Android and iOS devices.
- They should focus on the user interface, its design, and its usability. Intuitive, interactive and user-friendly app increases the number of downloads.
- Plan the future scaling of mobile apps from the preliminary stages. It saves development costs and time.
Flutter app development ensures that the app is consistent across multiple devices and has a beautiful design thanks to rich Visual Studio Code equipped with unique designs. Here are some reasons why building apps with Flutter is the best choice for startups:
Flutter app development enables to save the development costs
Money is one of the key aspects to focus on both for startups and large enterprises. The longer the app development process takes, the more costly it would be. Flutter’s Hot Reload feature allows developers to instantly introduce changes in the backend and eliminate the requirement of recompilation decreasing the development time. Thus, thanks to Hot Reload developers can make changes in real-time and see the results instantly. Moreover, Flutter increases the productivity of the development team by 10!
Unique app UI design and user experience
Unique Android and iOS power-packed widgets allow the creation of a unique interactive experience. A broad choice of cross-platform tools enables developers to create amazing designs with minimal effort and impress target users.
One codebase that will run smoothly on multiple platforms
One codebase allows releasing Flutter apps on different platforms with no need to hire different developers, unlike any other languages. It is a cost-effective tool for cross-platform app development allowing to build the app of uncompromising quality even for older devices. App performance will impress both users accessing the app from iOS platforms and Android devices.
Make your app infrastructure serverless, redundant, and scalable
Flutter is integrated with Google’s Firebase providing such services, as cloud storage, hosting, real-time databases, etc. Combined with other tools, Firebase allows developers to automate the app development process, make it easier and quicker and create a scalable product, unlike any other technology.
Launch MVP with limited resources, budget, and time
Flutter allows the development team to build apps without any hassle. Moreover, the opportunity to introduce changes in real-time allows for shortening the mobile development process. The impressive toolkit enables the owner to launch the Flutter apps with unique designs and features even within a limited budget. It allows quick MVP development and instant release even with limited resources!
Ability to reuse the app codes
Flutter app development allows speeding up the development process and decreases testing. It is possible due to the opportunity to translate codes into different languages so that once written codes can be used with different plugins by Flutter developers. A single QA session is enough to test all features, functions, and programs.
Why developing a cross-platform app with Flutter is beneficial?
Flutter is a free and open-source framework allowing to save costs on license and access to the development tools.
- A complete software development kit (Flutter SDK) provides all the necessary resources to build high-performance, intuitive apps for all operating systems within one codebase. It is based on the Dart programming language and Dart programs can be run directly.
- Rich technical architecture, comprising everything you may require for app development. International libraries allow localizing apps.
- Flutter app development allows using IDE-guided setup for both Android and iOS, simplifying the configuration of the environment.
- Rich of components supports various API integrations and support UI rendering components.
- Advanced tech support for testing apps, ready-made widgets, and unique features. It allows to easily manage and fix bugs.
- Continuous maintenance including tech and documentation support.
- It makes the app easily scalable in the future, in case of such necessity. You do not need to spend additional time and money or build a new app from scratch.
- Understandable documentation Flutter provides to the users makes it easy to learn, and a wide community and continuous support with tutorials make it accessible for developers of any level.
Flutter SDK, libraries, tools, packages, and plugins, allowing to speed up the development process
| Flutter libraries | Flutter Tools | Flutter packages | Flutter plugin |
Bloc Get X GetIt Flutter Google Map FL chart URL launcher Rx Dart | Firebase RIVE | Image Picker Path provider Scope model | Official flutter plugins Flutter location Skeleton Animated switches Ripple effect |
How much does it cost to develop an app with Flutter?
After you have finally decided to opt for Flutter development, arises the following question – how much does it cost to develop an app like Flutter? Exists a number of cost-related factors that influence the overall budget spent on the app development. App complexity, number of features and integrations implemented, choice of platforms, and included functions will comprise and formulate the total amount of money spent on app development.
As a startup, you do not need to invest huge sums of money into a fancy, fully-featured app. Initially, it will be better to build an app with flutter for a single platform and, as your business will grow, scale it up expanding the functionality and adding new features.
Moreover, Flutter development is the best solution for startups, since you will get the support of a wide community of experts. They will share their knowledge about Flutter’s own widgets and plugins that help you in upgrading your iOS and Android app with the latest features.
Concerning the app development cost with Flutter, the Flutter project budget starts with 50K monthly and may take minimally 3-4 months. Take into account that fast Flutter application development speed allows for shortening the duration of the project, thus lowering the development costs.
Top companies who successfully used Flutter for cross-platform app development
The best proof demonstrating that flutter is the right development choice is the list of companies, which have successfully used this technology to refine their designs and create new products.
One of the crucial benefits of Flutter and its programming language is that it allows building an app that looks and functions like a native one. This hybrid mobile app development technology has become the choice of many developers and software vendors and suits both for building new products and upgrading the existing ones.
Here are the apps built with Flutter, then demonstrate its versatility and explain the popularity of the current framework.
Nubank
Nubank, a company of enthusiasts who benefited from Flutter app development share their story. It is the largest independent bank outside of Asia, trusted by more than 48 million customers. The company was growing very fast and aimed to make the banking experience smooth and simple for its clients. They also struggled to find enough native mobile specialists to keep up with their ambitious pace, which couldn’t be synchronically satisfied by Android and iOS development teams.
They came to a conclusion that they need single teams developing features end-to-end and allowing them to scale quickly and sustainably. They have considered various options and compared to the other variants, Flutter offered the best hot reload abilities, strong documentation, and a more stable API. Moreover, it was simple to use, outperforming other variants in terms of developer experience, documentation, API stability, lack of platform specialization, and more.
As a result, Flutter has proved to be the best possible solution allowing them to continue to scale without sacrificing quality.
BMW Group
BMW group needed to find a solution to make all apps offer the same functionality to all customers, no matter the operating system and at the same time stick to their budgeting and keep the feature development velocity. They wanted to release their product across the brands simultaneously and create a platform that was developer-friendly, scalable, and provided room for experiments.
Flutter became the best suitable option, as it ensured user-friendliness, safety, and reliability. It allowed the BMW Group to provide their users with a single, smooth and pleasant experience, regardless of the platform they use to access the app. Their team finds the best possible instrument allowing them to move faster, maintain consistency, and delight users.
Flutter app development at Altamira
Our experts most effectively use this tool to optimize your business plans and assumptions. They have created many effective applications in Flutter. Gained expertise in rewriting existing Apps with a lot of legacy code from Java to Flutter, and making fresh releases for both Android and IOS markets allows our Flutter team to cope with projects of any complexity.
Altamira team has extensive experience in helping startups to put their ambitions into reality, having the necessary knowledge, experience, and skills. Our Flutter team offers:
- Quick and sustainable scaling for your startup;
- Various cooperation models, including the ability to hire dedicated teams of developers;
- Fast time to market;
- Compliance with NDA policy;
- Launch of the MVP comprising the necessary features to impress the target user and gather the feedback;
- No hidden costs.
Even if you do not have Flutter developers, you can extend your team and hire the talents you lack for the complete success of your project.
How can startups extend their team?
In case your startup project requires the skills and talent your team members do not have, you can always benefit from outsourcing or oustaffing. Team extension, as one of the most suitable cooperation models, will allow you to streamline the performance of your team and hire the needed specialists.
Team extension enables you to review the potential candidates and choose developers with the necessary skills and knowledge. You will only need to participate in several interviews and take the final decision.
One can either manage the specialists by oneself or delegate tasks to the project manager, enjoying smooth and flexible cooperation. Our Flutter app developers will easily blend with your existing team, share the best practices and contribute to the general success of your project together with the internal team.
Conclusion
Flutter app development is at the peak of its popularity. It stands next to React Native and has proved to be one of the most efficient Web apps and mobile app development tools allowing the building of native-like apps within a single codebase.
The high performance of Flutter apps, impressive UI, good price-quality ratio, and instant deployment make this framework the best choice for startups. App development using Flutter reduces the risk for your business with no hurdles in development, uncompromising quality, and ease of integration.
